Factual error: Approximately three quarters of the way in to the film, there is a close up of a German soldier handing an officer a file of documents. The helmet that the soldier is wearing is a post war 1960s version. This can be determined by the lack of an air vent and rivet on the side of the helmet.
Factual error: Somewhere in the middle of the film a close-up of a map of Europe is shown. Obviously, it is a map made after 1945. The borders of Rumania, Hungary and Slovakia show this.
Factual error: In one of the scenes, a bathroom is shown. The tub has modern fixtures, including a hand held massage/rinse nozzle with flexible metal hose.
Factual error: Characters in the movie were drinking champagne from tall slender flutes; the style that came into use in the 1970s and are still used today. In the 1940s champagne was drunk from coupes or champagne saucers which are wide and shallow, much like margarita or daiquiri glasses.
Other mistake: During the scene of the attempted coup at the SS ministry, several officers are wearing heavy winter coats and gloves. The action takes place on July 20th.
Factual error: The tail insignia on the silver transport plane (the red with the swastika) was discontinued after 1935.
Continuity mistake: On the morning of July 20, Stauffenberg cuts himself while shaving, leaving a noticeable mark on his neck. After he arms the bomb at the Wolf's Lair, the cut disappears. (01:02:40 - 01:06:15)
Factual error: In the scene where Hitler arrives in Russia the plane he arrives in is Ju-52. This is incorrect. The plane he actually flew in was an FW-200 Condor. Because the condor flew at a much higher altitude is one of the reasons the bomb failed to go off.
Continuity mistake: When Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg is handing Adolph Hitler the amended Valkyrie folder to approve, Hitler reaches for it with his right hand as the movie switches to a wider shot, the passing of the folder is going into Hitler's left hand. (00:40:45)
Revealing mistake: When Tom Cruise and Bill Nighy go to see Tom Wilkinson for the first time there are 2 reverse shots from behind Tom and Bill - if you look you can see Tom's hand is still there - it has been digitally removed in all other shots.
Factual error: In the beginning when Stauffenberg is writing in his diary, his handwriting has a modern style. Born in 1907, Stauffenberg would have used either the kurrent or the sütterlin handwriting, the latter being introduced in schools from 1915 on. Both look very different from what we see in the diary. (00:02:16)
Continuity mistake: When Von Stauffenberg is coming home for the first time, Nina and Claus are kissing each other down the hallway. Nina's head moves the other way when the camera changes perspective. (00:21:10)
Answer: Hitler was fanatically anti-tobacco: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/07/the-nazis-forgotten-anti-smoking-campaign/373766/.
Brian Katcher